Luanda de Hilster
| Luanda Lia de Hilster | |
|---|---|
 Luanda Lia in 2025
| |
| Musical theatre actress · Singer · Dancer · Choreographer | |
| Personal information | |
| Birth name | Luanda Lia de Hilster |
| Also known as | Luanda Lia; Luandalia; Luanda de Hilster |
| Born | September 29, 2005 (age 21) Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American and Brazilian |
| Based in | Edmond, Oklahoma |
| Relatives | David de Hilster (father) Doris de Hilster (mother) |
| Career | |
| Education | Boca Raton Community High School (2023) University of Central Oklahoma (2023–) |
| Degree(s) | Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Musical Theatre, University of Central Oklahoma (expected May 2027) |
| Training | Showtime Performing Arts Theatre; Taylor Made Dance & Theatre (2020–2023); Broadway Artist Intensive |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Performance | |
| Notable roles | Miss Adelaide (Guys and Dolls) Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes) Minnie Fay (Hello, Dolly!) Heather McNamara (Heathers) |
| Dance styles | Ballet, tap, jazz, modern, samba |
| Music | |
| Voice type | Mezzo-soprano |
| Instruments | Ukulele |
| Recognition & links | |
| Awards | Dream Awards nominee, Best Supporting Actress (2022, 2023) |
| Website | luandalia.com luanda.dehilster.com |
Luanda Lia de Hilster (born September 29, 2005), known professionally as Luanda Lia, is a Brazilian-American musical theatre actress, singer and dancer. She is studying for a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre at the University of Central Oklahoma, where her roles have included Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes.[1][2]
Name
"Luandalia" is her first and middle names run together. Since 2025 she has used Luanda Lia as her professional name, and it is also the name of her website (luandalia.com) and social media accounts.[1]
Early life
Luanda was born in Torrance, California, to David de Hilster and his Brazilian wife, Doris. Her birth is documented in her father's feature documentary Einstein Wrong – The Miracle Year.[2] She grew up in the Los Angeles area and studied ballet and tap in Long Beach from the age of five. Her parents led a Brazilian samba school in California, so she grew up around samba music and dance.[2][3] She holds dual U.S. and Brazilian citizenship and speaks and sings in Portuguese.[2]
In 2014 the family moved to Boca Raton, Florida.[2]
Education and training
At Boca Raton Community Middle School she was co-president of the Junior Thespian troupe. She attended Boca Raton Community High School from 2019 to 2023.[2] Outside school she trained at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre in Boca Raton, run by Marilyn Perry, and from 2020 to 2023 studied at Taylor Made Dance & Theatre under Angela Morando-Taylor. There she took part in its college-preparation conservatory and the College Audition Project, and in 2022 she received the studio's Dot Taylor Scholarship and was named Head Studio Captain.[4] She also attended the Broadway Artist Intensive in 2022 and 2023.[5]
In fall 2023 she entered the musical theatre program at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre, expected in 2027.[6][5]
Career
Florida (2017–2023)
Luanda's early roles were in school and community musicals in Boca Raton. They included the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical, Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, and Alexi Darling in Rent with an adult cast at Showtime Performing Arts Theatre.[2] In December 2019 she played Heather McNamara in Heathers at Showtime.[7] Straight after Heathers she was cast as Patrice, the female lead, in Showtime's spring 2020 production of Jason Robert Brown's 13, a musical that had helped launch the career of another Boca Raton teenager, Ariana Grande.[8] Rehearsals were under way, and Showtime released trailers in February and March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut the theatre before the April opening and the production was never staged.[9]
At Boca Raton High School she played Kathryn Schaub in Radium Girls (2021), Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone (2022) and Minnie Fay in Hello, Dolly! (2023). For the last two roles she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Dream Awards, the Palm Beach County high school musical theatre awards held at the Kravis Center.[10][11] She also won Superior ratings and perfect scores at Florida District and State Thespian competitions.[2]
Oklahoma (2023–present)
At UCO she has appeared in Legally Blonde (2024) and as a Merry Murderess and dance captain in Chicago (2026), directed by Nathan Peck.[5][12] She was assistant director of City of Angels (2025).[13] Her first lead role at UCO was Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at Mitchell Hall in September 2025.[14] In fall 2026 she was double-cast as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, part of Mitchell Hall's centennial season.[15]
Her professional work in Oklahoma includes:
- Bailey in The Polar Express Train Ride at the Oklahoma Railway Museum (2024)[5]
- Directing and choreographing a Christmas production for Hobby Lobby's creative division (2025)[16]
- Her debut with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, as a swing in Annie at the Civic Center Music Hall (June 2026)[17]
Selected credits
| Year | Production | Role | Venue / company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Seussical | Sour Kangaroo | Boca Raton Community Middle School |
| 2018 | Bye Bye Birdie | Mrs. McAfee | Boca Raton Community Middle School |
| 2019 | The Little Mermaid | Sebastian | Boca Raton Community Middle School |
| 2019 | Rent (school edition) | Alexi Darling / ensemble | Showtime Performing Arts Theatre |
| 2019 | Heathers | Heather McNamara | Showtime Performing Arts Theatre |
| 2020 | 13 | Patrice (female lead) | Showtime Performing Arts Theatre; cancelled before opening due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Jekyll & Hyde | Red Rat Dancer | Boca Raton High School (streamed) |
| 2021 | Radium Girls | Kathryn Schaub | Boca Raton High School |
| 2022 | The Drowsy Chaperone | Mrs. Tottendale | Boca Raton High School |
| 2023 | Hello, Dolly! | Minnie Fay | Boca Raton High School |
| 2024 | Legally Blonde | Kate / Kiki / Judge | University of Central Oklahoma |
| 2024 | The Polar Express Train Ride | Bailey | Oklahoma Railway Museum |
| 2025 | City of Angels | Assistant director | University of Central Oklahoma |
| 2025 | Guys and Dolls | Miss Adelaide | University of Central Oklahoma |
| 2026 | Chicago | Merry Murderess; dance captain | University of Central Oklahoma |
| 2026 | Annie | Swing | Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma |
| 2026 | Anything Goes | Reno Sweeney | University of Central Oklahoma |
Honors
- Dream Awards nominee, Best Supporting Actress: 2022 (The Drowsy Chaperone) and 2023 (Hello, Dolly!)[10][11]
- Dot Taylor Scholarship, Taylor Made Dance & Theatre (2022)
- Superior ratings at Florida District and State Thespian festivals (2019–2022)[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Luanda Lia". luandalia.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Bio". luanda.dehilster.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
- ↑ David de Hilster."Nurturing a Natural Talent". luanda.dehilster.com(2018-09-11).
- ↑ "Luanda Wins Taylor Made Scholarship & Named Head Studio Captain". luanda.dehilster.com(2022-05-30).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Resume". luandalia.com.Retrieved 2026-11-06.
- ↑ "Luanda to Study Musical Theater at the University of Central Oklahoma". luanda.dehilster.com.
- ↑ "Luanda Lands Supporting Role in Heathers". luanda.dehilster.com(2019-08-23).
- ↑ David de Hilster."Luanda Lands Female Lead in the Musical "13"". luanda.dehilster.com(2019-12-30).
- ↑ ""13" The Musical Trailer 2 - Showtime Performing Arts Theatre". YouTube (Showtime Performing Arts Theatre)(2020-03-13).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Luanda Nominated for Best Supporting Actress". luanda.dehilster.com(2022-05-16).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Luanda Earns Dream Awards Nomination for a Second Year". luanda.dehilster.com(2023-05-10).
- ↑ "Luanda Lia Named Dance Captain in Chicago Production by Director Nathan Peck". luandalia.com.
- ↑ "Luanda Named Assistant Director for City of Angels at UCO". luandalia.com.
- ↑ "Luanda Gets First Lead at UCO". luanda.dehilster.com.
- ↑ "Luanda Lia Cast as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes". luandalia.com.
- ↑ "Luanda Lia Tapped to Direct and Choreograph Hobby Lobby Christmas Number". luandalia.com.
- ↑ "Luanda Joins the Cast of Annie at the OKC Civic Center". luandalia.com.
External links
- Luanda Lia – official website
- luanda.dehilster.com – earlier website and news archive (2017–2025)
- Guys and Dolls (UCO, 2025): performance playlist on YouTube, as Miss Adelaide
- Reel – Fall 2025 on YouTube